Refrigerating apparatus



March 25, 1941. A. PHILIPP REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 21, 1938 ATTORNEY.-

Patented Mar. 25, 1941 'l UNiTEo STATES azac,

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Lawrence A. Philipp, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a N corporation of Maryland Application october 21, 193s, serial No. 236,155

4 Claims.

- This invention relates to an improvement in refrigerators, and more particularly to the mounting of the motor compressor unit and condenser in the machine compartment of a refrigerator.

The invention consists of a refrigerator comprising a food storage compartment and a machine compartment preferably locatedv therebeneath. Mounted within the machine compartment is a sealed motor-compressor unit enclosed within a sound absorbing housing for eliminating sound and noise created in the operation of the unit. Associated with the housing is a condenser which is connected with `the unit. A power driven fan is mounted within the housing for drawing `air into the machine compartment through suitable openings or louvers formed in the door thereof, and which air is drawn first through the condenser and then into lthe housing for extracting the heat from the condenser and compressor unit and then conducting the air from the housing and delivering it at the front of the refrigerator. I

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a. portion of a refrigerator showing the food and machine compartments with the motor-compressor unit mounted in the machine compartment;

`Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a detail view in elevation showing the mounting of the condenser;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating the vcoupling between the drive shaft for the motorcompressor unit and fan shaft.

The present invention comprises a refrigerator II) intended primarily for domestic purpose. and consists of` a food compartment l I and a machine compartment I2. The bodyl of the refrigerator is preferably constructed of metal with the wall suitably insulated at I3 for the food compartment. i

Mounted within the machine compartment I2 and supported from the bottom I4 ofthe food compartment Ais a sealed motor-compressor unit I5, consisting in general of stator windings I6 and a rotor Il mounted on a 'driveishaft I8 Journaled in a bearing I5' in an end of the unit cas-l ing. An eccentric I8 is provided on shaft I8 for operating a piston 2l in .the cylinder 2I by means of a connecting rod 22. As this unit is set forth terial.

' into shaft I8 as att-4I.y An end plate 43 is atprimarily for illustration, further detailed description is considered unnecessary. The motorcompressor unit I5 is supported vertically in the machine compartment I2 from azbracket 23 secured to the bottom I4 lby means of screw-bolts 2d. Interposed between the ends of the bracket 23 and the bottom 'I4 is a suitable packing or cushion of rubber 25. Screw bolts 26 pass through the bracket 23 and engage an end of the unit E5 for supporting the unit. Coile-d springs 2l are interposed between the bracket 23 and the heads of bolts 26 for resiliently supporting the unit.

A housing 28 is provided for the motor-compressor unit, and is preferably formed of metal lined with acoustic sound absorbing material 23 for taking up and absorbing any sounds or noises emanating during the operation of the unit. This housing encloses three sides, top and bottom of the unit, while the front side is open to receive a suitable condenser 33. The condenser is 20 bounded on all sides bythe sound absorbing ma- The bottom 3l of the machine compartment I2 is provided with an opening 32 through which the housing 28 extends, and disposed beneath the bottom 3l and extending transversely of the housing 28 is a sound insulated partition 33 which is provided with an air outlet opening 34. lThe partition 33 is disposed above the bottom 35 of the housing 28 for forming a fan chamber 36 30 therebetween. The fan chamber is provided with Y a discharge opening 3l at the front of the housing for directing 'the exhausted air toward the front of the refrigerator.

Mounted Within the fan chamber is a centrifugal fan 38 of any approved construction having a fan shaft 39 which projects upwardly through the opening 34 ln the partition 33. 'Ihe shaft 39 is secured to shaft I8 by being screw threaded tached to the yend of the unit I5 by means of bolts 44 forminga support for shaft 39 which extends therethrough. An oil chamber 45 is formed between the end of'thejunit and the 45 plate '43,' which has communication with the oil groove 48 around the shaft bearing I5 and with the lubricant chamber 4`lof the unit by the passage 4,8. The shaft 39 is sealed against leakage Athe end of shaft I8. By this arrangement any leakage between shaft I8 and ring 49 would be oil leakage only.

The front of the machine compartment is provided with a door 52 having louvers or slots 53 for the admission of air to the compartment. Wh'en the motor-compressor unit is in operation the fan 38 will be rotated causing air to be drawn into the compartment I2 and through the condenser 30 for extracting the heat therefrom. 'Ihis air is drawn into the housing 28 and over the unit for cooling the motor and compressor. The heated air is then drawn through the opening 34 of the partition 33 into the fan chamber 36 where it is discharged into the room at the front of the refrigerator thereby permitting the refrigerator to be placed tightly against the wall of a room.

'Ihe insulation of the housing 28 will dampen and absorb all sounds and noises created by the motor unit and fan'and thereby eliminate all objectionable sounds generally emanating from a machine of this character.

The food compartment II is provided with any suitable evaporator 55, which receives refrigerant from the motor-compressor unit I5, by conduit 56 leading from a high side float receiver 51, and which is connectedto the condenser 30 by a conduit 58. 'I'he refrigerant is delivered to the condenser from the unit I by a conduit 59. A conduit 60 conducts the vaporized refrigerant from the evaporator to the unit I5. The conduits 56 and Bil extend through a passage 6I in a post of the cabinet in conducting the refrigerant from and to the evaporator in the food compartment and from and to the compressor in the machine compartment.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the lmotor-compressor unit and condenser can be over the motor-compressorunit and extracting the heat therefrom, whereupon the air is discharged from the housing 28 toward the front of the refrigerator cabinet.

What I claim is:

1. A refrigerator comprising a sound insulated housing having an opening in a wall thereof, a condenser mounted in said opening, a motorcompressor unit received in said housing,.a. fan in said housing and having vdriving connection with said unit, and a partition in said housing for forming a fan chamber and an outlet flue for the heated air, said partition being provided with an opening for establishing communication between the housing containing the unit and the fan chamber so that air may be drawn by the fan through the condenser and into the housing and exhausted through the fan chamber to the atmosphere in cooling the parts.

2. In a refrigerator, the combination of a food compartment and a machine compartment, said machine compartment having the bottom thereof provided with an opening, a motor-compressor unit resiliently supported within said machine compartment, an insulated sound absorbing housing enclosing said motor-compressor unit tion having an opening therein for forming communication between the vhousing and the fan chamber, and a. fan in said fan chamber having driving connection with said unit for drawing air through the condenser and into the housing for cooling the condenser-and unit and thence into the fan chamber and exhausting the air from the fan chamber beneath the machine compartment.

3. In a. refrigerator, the combination with a cabinet having a. food and a machine compartment, of a sound absorbing housing of considerably smaller size than said machine compartment and being removably mounted therein and having an opening in its front wall andv an opening in a bottom wall, a condenser mounted in the opening in said front wall, a compressor mounted in said housing and a flue positioned adjacent said bottom wall andleading toward one wall of said refrigerator.

4. In a refrigerator, a sound insulated housing comprising a pair of chambers having a dividing wall therebetween, said dividing Wall having an opening therein to provide a passageway between said chambers, one of said chambers forming a compressor chamber and having an air inlet opening in a wall thereof, a condenser adjacent said inlet opening, a compressor mounted in said compressor chamber, the other of said chambers forming a fan chamber and having an air outlet opening through a wall thereof, and a fan in said fan chamber for first drawing air through said air inlet opening about said condenser, then through said compressor chamber about said compressor and into said fan cham- 'ber for discharge through said outlet opening.

LAWRENCE A. PHILIPP. 

